Erie Art Museum's 93rd Annual Spring Show

Another spring season means yet another annual show at the Erie Art Museum. This year, the museum is set to feature almost 600 entries into the show that have been selected and culled by several jurors.

This year, contemporary Philadelphian artist Virgil Marti took on the role of bringing the entries down to a smaller selection to be showcased.

Marti himself is known for a variety of art pieces from sculpture to painting and woodwork. Some of his works have been on display in the Philadelphia area, including installations at Eastern State Penitentiary, the Morris Gallery at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, The Moore College of Art and Design, and more. In addition to his works, he is a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania

On the topic of being selected as a juror, Marti explained in a press release that “it is an odd responsibility to be given, and you hope people realize this is one person’s reaction to what he is looking at, and another juror may have chosen an entirely different selection of work.”

“One of the most exciting parts about jurying is seeing all these choices and things people make I would never think to do. It’s fascinating,” he said.

The Erie Art Museum’s Spring Show is set to take place in the main gallery on April 16 from 7-9:30 p.m. with awards being announced during the event. A free, public reception will be held the next day from 1-3 p.m. The 94 pieces that were selected to be a part of the event will be on display until July, making them all accessible to everyone in the area.

For artists looking to submit their work in the coming years, Marti’s closing remark offered some encouragement: “With art making you have to do it because you want to do it. You can’t do it for other people. You can never control an audience. You just have to make what is interesting to you and hope that the audience for what you make finds it.”

In addition to the Spring Show, the Erie Art Museum and its collection of over 8,000 objects (including Tibetan painting, Indian bronzes, and contemporary baskets) is open year-round, Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. with school tours and education programs available. The museum can be reached online atwww.erieartmuseum.org, or by phone, at 814-459-5477.

EU Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs sent an email to university students, faculty and staff outlining the “Path Forward” for the university, specifically in regard to degree programs shifting and transitioning.